Set in 1842 aboard a convict ship for convicted female prisoners, Convictions follows the story of Jennie, a teenage girl convicted for stealing a loaf of moldy bread from a garbage bin. Now she finds herself heading to Australia with no hope of ever seeing her family again.
Meticulously researched and true to the time, this is Judith’s 8th book with Coteau.
Winner of the 2009 John V. Hicks Unpublished Long Manuscript Award!
Eleven-year old Dorothy Bolton makes the long journey to the Canadian prairies in 1903 with her parents, her sister Lydia, her brother Frank, and a boatload of new acquaintances. They travel with other Barr Colonists by steam train, steam boat, and another train on their way to settle in the Northwest Territories (now Saskatchewan and Alberta). Reverend Barr has promised them a fertile land with a gentle climate just waiting to welcome them to a new home. But when they get there, things are not quite as rosy as they thought…
Based on diaries and conversations with actual Barr colonists, this book brings the story of the Barr Colony to life for middle-grade readers.
Poster for Book Launch fundraiser for Full Steam to Canada!
Anne Patton’s hot-off-the-press novel Full Steam to Canada will be launched on May 14 at a Victorian tea in Briercrest, Saskatchewan.
The event is a fundraiser for the Brier Rose Cultural Centre, and will help preserve the smallest farmhouse ever.
This house is notable because it is the very house that the real-life Dorothy Bolton, (Dorothy Boan) the protagonist in Anne’s novel, lived in when she first got married.
Full Steam to Canada is based on memoirs and diaries of people who immigrated to Canada from England as part of the Barr Colony settlement in 1903. A large part of the story comes from an interview that Anne did with Dorothy Boan, who was a young girl when she came to Canada with the Barr Colonists.
Anne will read and autograph copies of her book at the Briercrest Community Centre on Saturday, May 14, 2011, starting at 2 pm. Admission to the Victorian Tea is $15 for adults and $10 for children. Call 306-799-2147 or 306-631-7966 for more information.
Briercrest is about 100 km southwest of Regina. From Regina, follow highway 1 west toward Moose Jaw and take the right exit ramp at highway 301. Turn left toward Weyburn. After 13 km, you will see a sign for Briercrest/Avonlea. Turn right onto highway 339 and drive 19 more km to Briercrest.
Saskatchewan Children's Writers' Round Robin 